Today’s video premiere and free download is for the song “Armando Armadillo” by Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke (KWMC). It’s also just one of many entertaining stories from their latest release, Animal Tales.

What you will love about it: The illustrations and animation, clever sense of humor and wacky Armadillo facts! Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke’s attention to detail is what consistently sets them apart. What you will find in this video, as well as the rest of Animal Tales, is KWMC’s uncanny ability to tap into a rich, imaginative space that takes listeners/viewers on an adventure along with the characters they create. By presenting a relatable narrative, paired with beautiful artwork, viewers will feel as though Armando is their friend.

What you should know: “Armando Armadillo” is a cautionary tale about a hard working Armadillo who lives with is wife and 12 children (3 sets of identical quadruplets) in a Nacogdoches (Texas) burrow.

Armando has to make daily treks across the busy Highway 21 to get to his job as a gardener which could prove dangerous since armadillos instinctively jump straight up into the air when they get spooked. Even a suit of plated armor is no match for oncoming traffic! But, as the lyrics say “that’s just the way it goes/ For armadillos.”

Viewers will get a chuckle as they are introduced to Armando’s family through a Brady Bunch style grid and as they watch Armando weave his way across the highway with Frogger-like style.

Behind the Scenes: The entire video was illustrated and animated by Key Wilde. Grammy winning producer, Dean Jones, joins in on the guitarron contributing to the Mexican flair of the song.

Want to learn more? Of course you do! Head on over to Facebook and “like” Key Wilde & Mr. Clarke’s page to stay up to date with what they are working on and where you can see them perform. You can also follow them on Twitter.

Key Wilde has done artwork for Avanti Greeting Cards, the Central Park Conservancy and the Woodlands Wildlife Refuge all of which can be found in Key Wilde’s portfolio. I highly recommend checking out his work, as well as KWMC’s Animal Alphabet iPad app and “Animal Alphabet” video.

Stay tuned for my full review of Animal Tales which is akin to an audio version of a National Geographic Kids magazine.

In the meantime, you can download “Armando Armadillo” for free through the Soundcloud link below.